"As we enjoy great advantages from the inventions of others, we should be glad of the opportunity provided to serve self-interest when Al Gore created the internet; and we should also thank Mark Zuckerburg and Jack Dorsey for creating Facebook and Twitter out of the kindness of their big hearts and not the thinness of their small wallets."

-Ben Franklin, Autobiography (1742)

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Samuel Adams - Brewer, Patriot, Ladykiller

Samuel Adams has traditionally been one of the more commonly quoted founders, made popular largely as a result of his likeness and name being used as a trademark for a rather delicious if slightly over-hopped malt beverage. But what of the man himself? It is generally assumed correctly that the real Sam Adams was in fact a well-respected brewmaster of his day, but few know the truth behind his own motives.

Brewing beer was popular in the colonial era for numerous reasons - the two most prevalent being that water was not generally very clean and was often unsafe to drink on its own, and second that there was a lot of pretty rough stuff going on and people really needed to relax. One of the most fascinating inconsistencies of current history books is that to this day we don't widely recognize Sam Adams as being one of the first brewers to approach the craft for a third reason (also easily the most popular reason for drinking today) - getting laid.

"A general dissolution of principles and manners will more surely overthrow the liberties of American college girls than the whole force of the common enemy. While the ladies are virtuous they cannot be subdued; but when once they lose their virtue then will be ready to surrender their bodies to the first external or internal invader. Oh shit I just got a great idea."

Samuel Adams, letter to James Warren, February 12, 1779

The quote above, taken from a letter sent by Adams to his good friend James Warren, was an extremely exciting find for Lost and Founders as we believe this was the exact moment in history that Sam Adams decided to become a brewer. As we see today, his decision has impacted our society a thousand times over - proof as usual of the incredible relevance that the founders' teachings still possess in the modern era.